Newbie rider w/limited options

[BigPolishJimmy]

Hi everyone,

I'm getting older, must move more. Youngest son wants to ride more... pretty easy to figure out what to do. The problem is very limited $$. Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org) has been generous and now I have a old trek 10-speed w/531 frame to fix up for the road that seems like it will be big enough for me, but what to do about trails & dirt roads? I've got a few "normal" size dept-store bikes but they're all really too small. I'm looking for a short-term solution as I am in lust/love with a Bianche but it's not going to happen any time soon. Is there such a thing as an "S"-shaped seat post to make my junker (dept-store mtn bike) fit my waif-like 6'4" 295-lb physique for the short-term? How about adding BMX style handlebars to gain height on the short stem? I think we can do some serious riding down to the lake to go swimming this summer.

Any feedback is appreciated

Thanks,

Jim

*edit* oops, found the correct thread about seatposts in the stickys, missed it the first time through.

[st0ut]

check craigslist for your area...
your should be able to find a decent bike that just needs some TLC for a budget.

[CACycling]

Find an inexpensive used MTB. I've picked up a couple in the last year for $50 or less. Your money will be better spent getting a bike that fits and working on it rather than trying to get a junk bike to fit you.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Agreed with the above....

With the price of parts, it's going to be cheaper to get a bike that fits your son than to try to adapt one that's too small. A Thompson Setback Seatpost, for example, will cost about $90.00, IF you can get one in the diameter you need for the tube.

[wrk101]

+1 Craigs List. You can find good/decent mountain bikes on Craigs List all of the time. They are much more common (at least around here) than good road bikes.

I would not consider your options limited at all. Its just a matter of how much you are ready to do to find a deal. I bought a real nice Giant Rincon mountain bike at a garage sale for $10. Needed nothing except air in the tires and a good washing.

[BigPolishJimmy]

I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled at garage sales and craigslist, along with the local thrift stores and barter groups, I've seen a lot of bikes, but not in my size. Freecycle www.freecycle.org (http://www.freecycle.org) has been very good to me as I got a trek in my size for free. Of course I'll be putting a lot of work and time along with tires & tubes but it's going to be a joy to ride. My son has taken ownership of my old Murray mountain bike and it fits him fine, if a little big atm. But as I search I still have this Huffy mountain bike that I also got from freecycle. It had a broken pedal, so tonight I swapped out the crank with another junk huffy womans mountain bike that had the same crank size. I cleaned & regreased the bearings and everything is nice and compatible. I've got a bmx seat post that will go way up, but not back. I've also got bmx handle bars and I'm tempted to try, I've got to take a look at the seat & handlebar geometry to see if it'd buy me space or just make me uncomfortably taller. I know huffy is junk, in the woman's bike the cones & bearings were really bad & out-of-round deformed not sure the term for it but it almost looked like it was made of something soft like lead. There is no way at my weight that I'll push this thing jumping or even going fast for that matter. I mapquested the ride to the lake, 4-miles there, 4-miles back, partial dirt road, that's my goal for this bike, the trek on the other hand I will put money into and ride solo to build distance and endurance. My goal is to ride home from work at least once (25 miles) by the end of summer.